Apparatus for clarifying molten metal



(No Model.)

A. G. HOGEN.

APPARATUS FOR GLARIPYING MOLTEN METAL. No. 336,236. Patnted Feb. 16, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREIV O. HOGEN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR CLARIFYING MOLTEN METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part oi Letters Patent No. 336,236, dated February 16, 1886.

Application filed August 24, 1885. SerialNo. 175,174. (No model.)

hereby declare the following to be a description of the same and of the manner of constructing and using the invention in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it appertains to con struet and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

Myinvention is animproveinent in appara tus for the dipping 0fcans-for example, square cans. such as used in shipping kerosene-oils and other articles-into molten metal, for the purpose of soldering the same, as is set forth in the drawings and description that follow. \Vhere large pots of solder or tin are used in which articles are dipped for soldering, a coat of scum from the materials heated commonly rises on the top of the mass, which interferes with the supply of pure metal, and so renders the soldered lines liable to faults, breaks, or other imperfections. To prevent such interferences with the soldering process, and to present a surface of pure and clean solder to the article dipped, the scum referred to must be frequently skimmed off by some manual or other operation. This skimming of the pot demands time and labor, and thus interferes with the expedition of the soldering. The scum also wastes the metal.

To remedy these evils is the object of my invention, the particulars of which are hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus sufficient to illustrate the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the apparatus.

Ais a solder-pot, located, as ordinarily, over a furnace, B. In suitable nearness to said pot, and on aplane above it, is the reservoir 0, adequately constructed. Along one of the edges of said reservoir, contiguous to the pot, is suspended the metallic yoke D by means of hooks a. Rigidly fastened to said yoke is a series of tubular spouts, E, projecting downward and having their discharge ends opening over the pot A. A band, F, supports the said series of spouts at some convenient point near their discharge ends.

G is a series of wicks respectively having one end inserted in the yoke end of a spout and with the other end hanging over into the reservoir 0.

The operation of my device is as follows: Reservoir 0 being supplied with some adequate liquid flux, as a compound of muriatic acid and zinc, or equivalent, has one end of each wick G lapped over into it. Said lapping wicks, by capillary attraction, act to discharge a steady stream of the liquid into their connected spouts, in which the opposite and outer ends of the wicks are inserted. Drawn thus into the spout-s, the liquid trickles down upon the molten metal in the pot. There being a number of these discharging-spouts, the liquid from the reservoir is by these means distributed quite generally over the whole surface of the molten metal. Such a continuous supply of the liquid tends to keep the molten metal clear from the scum that would otherwise gather upon it, and such a prevention of the scum provides a clean surface of molten metal for application to the dipped article, and,as my device in this manner tends to prevent waste of metal in the scum, and also dispenses with manual labor in the skimming of the pots, it is seen to be useful as to the saving of both material and labor; also, as already indicated, the purity of the surface of the molten mass secured by the prevention of scum tends to secure more perfect joints in the articles soldered, for the cleaner the surface of the molten metal can be kept the cleaner is the metal that reaches the article to be soldered, also the wick acts as astrainer, suffering only the purer parts of the liquid to reach the metal in the pot.

Instead of the specific means herein shown,

other means may be provided. For instance,

a tube may extend from the bottom of the reservoir and be filled with a suitable filtering or packing, so that the liquid flux may have con.- stant-gravity feed into the molten-metal pot.

What, therefore, I claim is= 1. In apparatus for clarifying molten metal,

gether. substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a molten-metal pot and aliquid-fiux reservoir, of one or more spouts and one or more wicks, said Wicks, respectively, having one extremity fitted in a spout and the opposite extremity lapping over into the reservoir, said spouts having their discharge extremities operatively connecting With the pot, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with pot A and reservoir O, of yoke D. detachably fitted upon said reservoir, and provided with a series of spouts,

E, pendent over said pot, said spouts provided each with a wick, G, said series of wicks lapping over into-said reservoir, substantially as set forth.

5. The comhinatiomwith metaldipping pot A and liquid flux reservoir 0, of spout E, haw ing itsdischarge end pendent over the surface of the pot, and a wick, G. having one of its ends inserted in said spout and its other end lapping over into said reservoir, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing to be my invention I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of August. A. D. 1885.

ANDREW O. HOGEN.

Witnesses:

T. B. HALL, L. B. SNOW. 

